A pair of boots impacted the ground fiercely, dust from the soil underneath kicking up into the air. Letting out a low-pitched moan, a single arm reached high into the midday sky with an open palm, as if reaching for the heavens themselves. Saya stretched as much as she could, twisting and turning to crack every bone in her body.
The satisfaction of finality settled deep within her soul, as her long awaited journey made its first stop. She looked around, her eyes scanning a scenery that she had definitely grown accustomed to, but hadn’t had the chance to appreciate to its fullest.
To her right, was a vast green field of farms, populated by countless animals feeding on nature. On her left, however, stretched a sea of tall trees, carpeting the land from the flat plains to the mountains that towered over her.
And finally, in front of her, was the stone gate to the entrance of her first destination, the stop that isn’t as popular as the others, but still well-known regardless. The city of yucu saa. Even from a distance, Saya could see the tall roofs of the buildings hiding behind the walls.
As both she and Redus waited for their turn in a decently long line of travelers waiting to enter the city, Saya leaned her body slightly, using the arched gates as a way to get a sneak peek into the world of Aimafina. Immediately, she was hit with a sense of unfamiliarity, as the homes had a vastly different architectural design than that of Fridan.
While Fridan’s homes mixed stone and wood together to create the illusion of beauty through wooden outlines, the buildings in Aimafina, or Yucu Saa to be more specific, were made entirely out of stone, their designs chiseled directly during the construction process. Homes built purely of stone often carried the stigma of “poverty”, which was why the designs in Fridan focused so heavily on wooden carvings.
Not to mention, all the homes were painted in such a unique color scheme, not a single building looking like the other. They all commanded attention without demanding it, letting someone’s eyes naturally wander to whichever hue they found the most pleasing.
But the elephant in the room that towered above the city was none other than the famous stone pyramid that seemed to pierce even the skies. Its stone was clearly older and lacked the signature colors of the regular buildings, yet it still stood the test of time perfectly. Bits of moss surrounded the walls, but the structure remained well intact. It had a square-shaped design rather than the traditional triangular form.
Instead of a sharp tip, the top of the pyramid had what seemed like a room, with two pillars in front and a short rectangular opening to enter from.
“Next, please!”
Stepping forward, Saya met eyes with the guard. He wielded a single wooden spear with a metal tip. No matter how primitive it may seem on the outside, there were etchings marked on the metal itself to give an item the ability to cast spells. In a sense, it was similar to how humans and other living beings carried Birthmarks.
It didn’t surprise Saya so much, however, as she had read about these unique carvings during her time at the academy. Besides, Hana also carried something similar, where she would often command wind magic solely through her blades alone, rather than through her Birthmark.
Since minerals such as iron came from the earth itself, they didn’t need a soul to draw magical energy from, as it was naturally formed within them. While humans needed to borrow mana from reality to create imitations of nature, nature itself was its own magical provider, skipping the need for a “middle man.”
Despite that, it was the appearance of the man that surprised Saya more. Unlike the knights in Fridan, who often wore full plates of metal armor, covering their bodies from head to toe, the guards in Aimafina wore light tunics, with much of their skin being exposed.
She didn’t know whether or not this was done deliberately for strategic purposes, or if it was more fashion focused. Split horizontally through the middle, the man’s left half bore the colorfully woven cloth, while the right half was fully naked, showing off his muscular physique in the meantime.
The “shirt” had a white base, but had flowers and other natural beauties etched onto the very fabric itself, clearly all hand-sewn together. As for his lower half, he wore ordinary shorts that one would see even in Fridan, breaking Saya’s immersion ever so slightly.
Fitting for the location, rather than wearing covered shoes, the man’s toes were fully out on display, as he wore light brown sandals. Saya looked around ever so slightly, catching a glimpse of the other male guards, who had been wearing something similar.
Where are the women?
She asked herself, as Redus stepped past her to hand the guard a piece of paper. Having left in such a hurry, Saya had no documentation in hand to be able to properly cross through borders. This realization came to her on the second day, with her contemplating whether or not she should return and ask Viera for one.
But in her darkest days, her savior, the old man Redus, came to her rescue.
Using his merchant voucher, Redus would wander into the city alongside her, then leave on his own. Since departing from the city didn’t require any documentation, she would be able to leave whenever she wanted. It was a slightly underhanded move from both of them, but they both agreed to keep the secret to themselves.
Of course, the question of how Saya would get to the city after Yucu Saa was on her mind, but as of now, she would cross that bridge when the time came.
Handing the piece of paper back to Redus, the guard stepped aside, letting both of them through the gates. Leading the horses and the carriage, her companion started walking first, with Saya following quickly after. Seeing the city from the outside was one thing, but the moment she crossed the gates, it felt like she was transported to another world.
Not only did the buildings, streets, and clothing look different, but they also smelled different. While the streets of Atrila and Kala were often plagued by the scent of fat and oil, Yucu Saa entranced her with the smell of fresh fruit and heated maize.
Plus, there was another important factor she had completely missed, being so absorbed in everything else.
Demi-humans outnumbered the humans roaming the streets. In fact, Saya felt a tad bit out of place. Some demi-humans were similar to KL, where they looked human overall, but had animalistic appearances that helped them stand out, such as tails or ears.
While others fully embraced their animalistic natures, having snouts and claws. There was no end to the diversity, and to Saya, bunching this group into simply demi-humans felt like she was doing each and every single person a disservice. There were fox-people, dragonkin, catfolk, and many more.
Nearly immediately, her previous question about the whereabouts of women was answered, as groups walked past her carrying large baskets of fruits and vegetables on their hips or on top of their heads.
Something stood out to Saya though, as the women wore puffier clothes that covered their entire bodies. Being such a nature-centric nation, she expected everyone to be decently exposed, similar to how the men were.
A sense of relief washed over her, realizing she would most definitely not stand out by wearing her adventurer wear, forgetting completely about the missing arm that so obviously demanded attention from the locals.
It explained why the air had seemed so fresh. Because they were genetically part animals, consuming meat would be the same as committing cannibalism, which is why most of the cuisine that she saw while walking through the city was primarily fruit and vegetables. In many ways, this helped Saya realize why Aimafinans don’t often visit Fridan, despite their friendly nature.
Everything about her nation screamed the reverse of what Aimafina was trying to pursue. The cleanliness of nature and importance of the body. To the natives, friendliness and the promise of freedom alone wasn’t enough to break through their regular, pure routine.
“I wonder if that’s the same with other nations,” she mumbled to herself, still lost in the spectacle. Although she had been inside the city for a grand total of five minutes, she couldn’t help but daydream about living in Yucu Saa, alongside Albo.
We could start a family too, it’d be a nice place to raise them.
Her inner thoughts immediately bit her back, her heart skipping a beat at the mere thought of having kids with the boy she loved. What snapped her back was the sudden weight of coarse hands landing on her shoulder. She looked behind her to see Redus had fully stopped his carriage.
“I gotta head out now Missy.”
Being so absorbed, she had completely forgotten that Yucu Saa wasn’t in Redus’ destination plans at all.
“Right now?” Carrying a tone of despair, she hung her head low without even realizing it. She had come to appreciate her companion’s presence, even despite having only known him for a short period of time. After the previous night, she felt like they had established a sort of connection, and deep down hoped the merchant would stay a day longer than he was supposed to.
Almost like reading her mind, Redus patted her shoulder, his toes raising so he could reach Saya’s height level. His dusty hands left a mark on Saya’s cloak, a large brown handprint laid out like a mark of territory.
“Don’t worry, we’ll see each other soon.”
“If you ever decide to return to Atrila, that is.”
There wasn’t a shred of hesitation in Saya’s response, her head now raised high. “I will! I have to go back, otherwise this would all have been for nothing.”
Pulling on the reins, Redus masterfully guided the horses into doing a smooth U-turn in the busy road. Still, Saya couldn’t help but wonder why he didn’t just park the carriage at the city gates like most merchants who had no intentions of selling their wares did. She thought for a moment that it could have been because he was too sad about their farewell, but shrugged the thought immediately, finding herself silly.
“When are you going to Atrila?” she asked, her hand fidgeting constantly. She balled up a fist, inserting and taking out her thumb repeatedly. Of course, it wasn’t intentional, and it wasn’t to show off either, but Redus saw it as clear as day.
“I was planning on taking a break for around two weeks, and then going back to the capital right after.”
Counting to herself, her eyes rolled to the skies, doing the best she could to calculate the approximate date. “Two weeks,” she mumbled.
“What’s this, you want to see me so badly that you’re even counting till the exact day?” he exclaimed sarcastically, his voice sending a rod of embarrassment across her spine. Her breath hitched, searching for an appropriate response. If she overreacted, she would be falling right into his hands. But if she underreacted, there was a chance Redus might tease her more until she broke.
“No, I don’t really care. I was just curious.” In her head, she pulled off a cool, icy queen temper, brushing off his remarks like tossing a pebble. But in reality, her face was half facing away from Redus. She bit her lower lip to force a still expression, all the while digging her nails into her palm.
Having children himself, this was a sight Redus had grown quite used to during his years. He didn’t display it as obviously as she did, but a sense of dread and disappointment welled up within his heart, not wanting to part ways with his travel companion either. For the first time in a long time, he felt a sense of pride towards someone who wasn’t blood-related to him.
Faking a hearty laugh, which could be passed off as a real one, he waved goodbye, quickly making his way towards the city exit. “Take care Missy! Don’t be too hard on yourself.”
His voice cracked on the last word, but at that point he had been far enough to where Saya wouldn’t have been able to hear it. Still facing away from Redus, Saya’s chest rose up and down frantically, as quiet drops of tears dripped onto the road.
“Goodbye,” she whispered, without knowing if she might truly see him again one day.
The world around her seemingly muted itself, with only the sound of her heartbeat and breath being audible.
No, I can’t just stand here all day.
Smacking her cheek, she stood upright once more. “That’s enough embarrassment for one day. I need to actually start looking for a cure.” Determination flared within her eyes, replacing the cold tears that once inhabited the space. Even just thinking about Albo burned her with motivation. Besides, being in such a beautiful place, she figured it would be a waste to spend that time sulking.
Closing her eyes and inhaling as deeply as she could, she caught the whiff of the fresh breeze brushing through the city. With her arms extended and her spine leaned back, she took in all the sensory details the world had to offer. After a five-second build-up, she let go, exhaling as loudly as she could while bending forward.
The passerby natives glanced at the strange blue-haired girl doing breathing exercises, before moving on with their day. To them, there was no shortage of strange foreigners who acted out of place.
When her eyelid slid back open, the first thing that she saw in front of her was the large stone pyramid that rested at the end of the city. Having gotten closer than before, its height seemed much more daunting than before.
It was intimidating, yet still beautiful nonetheless. The moss and overgrown plants adorning the ancient structure gave it a much-needed texture, as it contrasted the strangely shaped, and overstimulating buildings that surrounded her.
In a sense, it was a way for the natives of Yucu Saa to remember their heritage and origins.
“Alrightly.”
She took her first step, marking the true beginning of her mission. True, it had taken her quite a bit to get here, but from her perspective, it could only go up from here. She moved naturally, turning her head left and right for any potential medicinal vendors who were local. Even as she walked, her eyes wandered from stall to stall, quietly taking note of herbs, powders, and strange bottles she had never seen before.
Just as she started to get the hang of Yucu Saa, magical energy suddenly shot up to her eyes, forcing her to recoil in pain. She let out a loud, audible groan, as one of the shopkeepers worriedly called out to her from a distance.
My Soul Sight hasn’t done that in so long.
Is it because I haven’t used it in a while?
It was just as bad as the one she felt at the academy. Immediately, she felt her pores squeezing out sweat as her body tried to cool itself from the mass amount of heat generated from her magical energy. The pain in her eyes was, ironically, the least of her worries.
She took a step forward. Her right foot made a splashing sound that felt oddly foreign to her. When she peeked slightly through the cracks of her fingers, she saw an eerily red substance, standing out significantly from the rest of the world around her.
Nerves made it a struggle for her to stand upright, her spine bending forward alongside her knees. At this point, the merchant watching her, who was a dragon-kin, rushed over to her side as quickly as possible. Leaving his store unattended, he placed both his hands on Saya’s shoulder, drawing her close to him.
Though she didn’t know the man, his mere presence allowed her to fully give in to her body’s demands, as she collapsed onto the ground. Breathing heavily, her eyes darted repeatedly from the view in front of her, which was the pyramid, the dragon-kin, and finally down at herself.
Red liquid surrounded her, and yet none of it stained her clothes. Like someone was flickering the world’s light on and off extremely rapidly, her views on reality constantly shifted.
Then she saw it. During a moment of pause, her Soul Sight finally chose its destination. A cold, wet sensation seeped through her clothes and skin. She raised her palm, staring at it intently as her mind tried to process what was happening to the world around her.
It was an all too familiar smell of metal. Copper, to be more precise. It was blood.
The pyramid in front of her no longer held the same magnificence it did only minutes ago, with most of its top half having shattered beyond comprehension, like someone had cast the world’s strongest explosion magic.
Most unsettling of all was when she realized the man who had been supporting her, the dragon-kin, had completely vanished. She thought she was leaning into him, but in reality her one arm was supporting her weight all along.
Phantom pain from her missing arm surged at an all-time high, as she felt like a dull knife was cutting through her skin and bones slowly to torture her. She gripped the empty slot on her shoulder, relentlessly rolling on the ground. At this point, she couldn’t contain her screams anymore.
No matter how hard she yelled for help, nobody came to her aid. She yelled, and yelled, and yelled, to the point where she thought her neck was going to pop out of her mouth. This wasn’t just a Soul Sight malfunction. No, if anything, her special ability was warning her of this incoming danger all along.
Help. Pleas ehelp i cant htake it anymore please help me ehhe please polkeahn please ejhapel please plea als eao——————
Not a single cohesive thought formed in her mind. The clothes she wore, which had only stains of dust and stone, were now drenched in crimson blood. The skies were a deep orange, despite it only being midday. If she had the opportunity to closely inspect the sun, she’d notice that the shining star remained in the same place the entire time.
What covered the skies was a filter made of pure dark energy, one that far surpassed the strength of even Sulva’s curses.
Saya’s body twitched as she lay on her back, flat on the ground, her lungs no longer able to intake air. The organs within her failed to work. At the end of her life, she wished nothing more than to see her best friend one more time, even though she knew that wish was one that would fall on deaf ears.
Mirages from her past lives jumped in and out of existence, unable to decide on which plane to remain in. It was clear she had stopped by Yucu Saa in the past, but none of the mirages indicated her death whatsoever.
Rather, they showed glimpses of her happiness and determination, which upset the current Saya even more. It felt unfair, and a mountain of questions rushed into her mind, her vision fading into nothingness in the meantime.
Was I too early?
Did I do something wrong?
Her death at the academy was the last recall, or at least that was what Oktavia had implied. If she was being honest with herself, she didn’t care much about what Oktavia called the ‘Eighth’, but if she were to die here, then she wouldn’t be able to see the face of the one she loves ever again.
Clinging onto the last bits of hope within herself, she called upon as much mental and physical strength as possible to force herself back up. The magical gears within her whirred faintly, grinding together ever so weakly that even a newborn could compete against it.
While the rest of her body barely dimmed, the shoulder with her missing arm told a different story. Sparks of magical energy, similar to the lightning that appeared when she used her Gravefire Cataclysm, shot out.
The lightning was as thin as hair, but it was something nonetheless. Alas, it was still not enough. Deep within her, she was hoping for a powerup to propel her magical capabilities by tenfold. It was mere fantasy, daydreams of a fool, but she clung to it. Though the sparks were a mixture of blue and white, a slight flicker of golden yellow was hidden amongst the bunch.
Saya herself didn’t notice it, but something else did.
A loud crash exploded in front of her, the force of the wind flapping her clothes violently, nearly ripping them to shreds. Her eyelashes acted as prison bars, as she desperately fought herself to see what had landed in front of her.
She couldn’t make out its shape that well, but the color of its skin and fur was extremely obvious. Under such crimson skies, the large body of a gray animal-like creature loomed over her, bending its head and mouth closely to Saya’s face.
Smoke puffed out of the creature’s inhuman mouth, gifting Saya with one final whiff of toxic breath. Her heart was too weary to even be scared of the beast. Opening its mouth once more, a deep, distorted voice spoke directly to her. The creature certainly had no eyes, but Saya felt its intense gaze all the same.
“Eeeiiiggghhhhttthhhh…”
Like a broken branch, something within Saya snapped. Her eyes widened, staring straight back at the beast. She curved her spine into a u-shape, lifting her head to match the monster as closely as possible. Still at the end of her consciousness, and still at the end of her life.
But what she was doing felt like her body was moving on its own.